A man accused of sexually abusing women under the guise of "anatomy research" has been formally charged with 17 felonies. Provo resident Borzin Mottaghian, 34, stands accused of 12 counts of object rape and two counts of attempted object rape, both first-degree felonies. He has also been charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, as well as attempted sexual abuse, a third-degree felony. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Charges allege Mottaghian would lure women to a fake office after posting an ad on Craigslist. He would say in the ad he was looking for women to participate in "anatomy research" for the purpose of developing a new medical device, and that any woman over 18 would be paid $200 to participate. He would then perform "examinations" that medical professionals consulted on the matter have said would not have had any relevancy to the device Mottaghian was allegedly trying to make. His bail has been set at $250,000.
Mottaghian is a well known restaurateur in Provo, and owns both the Cocoa and Coffee Company drink shop as well as the Cafe on Fire Persian restaurant.
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